Characteristics of highly creative individuals creative thinking involves imagining familiar things ina new Light, digging boelow the surface to find previously undetected patterns, and finding connections, among unrelated phenoverna.* Roger von Oech, Expect the unexpected Look at the following characteristics and think about yourself or other people who you perceive as creative, As you go through each description, sec if you can calculate ‘a rating for each description into the categories: most of the time; sometimes; infrequently. This exercise may help you decide if you o others fal into a group that is considered highly creative. Obviously, the more times you rate "most of the time,” ‘the more likelihood that person can be classified as highly creative. Highly creative ineividuals may: + 1-Display a great deal of curiosity about many things; are constantly asking questions about anything and everything: may have broad interests in many unrelated areas. May devise collections based on unusual things and interests. + 2. Generate a large number of ideas or solutions to problems and questions; often offer unusual ("way out’), unique, clever responses. + 3. Are often uninhibited in expressions of opinion; are sometimes radical and spirited in disagreement; are unusually tenacious or P + 4. Are willing to take risks, are often people who are described as tent ~ fixating on an idea or project. "high risk taker, or adventurous, or speculative.” ‘+ 5. Display a good deal of intellectual playfulness; may frequently be caught fantasizing, daydreaming or imagining. Often wonder out loud and might be heard saying, "I wonder what wouldhappen if..."; or "What if we change by easily changing, elaborating, adapting, improving, or "Can manipulate ideas ‘modifying the original idea or the ideas of others. Are often concerned improving the conceptual frameworks of institutions, objects, and systems. + 6.Display keen senses of humor and see humor in situations that ‘may not appear to be humorous to others. Sometimes their humor may appear bizarre, inappropriate, irreverent to others. + 7. Are unusually aware of his or her impulses and are often more open tothe irrational within him or herself. May freely display ‘opposite gender characteristics (freer expression of feminine interests in boys, greater than usual amount of independence for girls). +8 Exhibit heightened emotional sensitiv cencitive ta heauty, and vicibly moved hy aesthotic oxperionces, May be very + 9. Ate frequently perceived as nonconforming; accept disordered of chaotic environments or situations; are frequently not interested in details, are described as individualistic; or do not fear being classified as "different." 4+ 10. Criticize constructively, and are unwilling to accept authoritarian pronouncements without overly critical self examination. Adopted and adapted from the scale for Rating Behavioral Characteristics of ‘Superior Students by Renzulli and Hartman A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something. rank Capea (lm director)‘What will people think? There is strong social pressure to conform and to be ordinary and not Here are some overheard examples: Creative Person: "Tlike 10 put water n my orange juice so it's less sweet." Ordinary Person: "You're weird, you know?” Ordinary Person: "What are you doing?” Creative Person: "We're painting our mailbox." Ordinary Person: "You're crazy." Creative Person: "Why don't we adda line garlic?” Ordinary Person: "Because the recipe doesn' call for garlic." Ordinary Person: "Why are you going this way? It's longer." Creative Person: "Because like the drive." Ordinary Person: “Did anyone ever tll you you're strange?” 1. Creative individuals have great physical energy. but they become extremely quiet ‘when they ae at rest. This restful period can lead others to think that they are not feeling Well or that they are unhappy, when the tuh i they are Fine 2. Creative folks tend to be both highly intelligent and naive at the same time, 3. Creative people are disciplined and playful simultaneously. In some creative people, this can mean that they are responsible and irresponsible atthe sme time as wel 4. Creative minds move between a spectrum of fantasy and imagination and a firm {grounding in reality. They understand the present and need to keep in touch with the past. ‘5. Creative individuals seem to be both introverted and extroverted, expressing both traits ‘at once, An image to explain this might be that they are shy showofis, if you ean picture tha 6, Creative people ae sincerely humble and extremely proud in a childlike way. It requires ego to have a risky, fresh ideo. It takes self-doubt to hammer it out to a workable fom. 7. Creative folks don’t fel as tied to gender roles. They eel di don't feel the barriers of authority or the rules of what they are